Colorado and a New Companion

Colorado and a New Companion

7/20-728

On my way back east and north to Colorado I went through Canyon De Chelly, Arizona. It came highly recommended. It may not be as popular and grand as the Grand Canyon, but it was a wonderful stop. There were very few tourists on the same route, but many native Americans who make a living by selling their goods at each of the canyon’s overlooks. It was actually so quiet there that it was a bit unnerving. And there are multiple signs to warn visitors not to leave their valuables in their car due to theft. I made each stop relatively quick for photos. Then I headed into San Juan National Forest near Durango, CO to camp for the night.

I took the scenic route on the next day through Ouray, CO. It is
a gorgeous drive with scenic overlooks and trail heads I wished I
could have stopped to hike. It was barely safe to enjoy the views
while driving and staying on the hair-pin turns. Coco got her work
out on all the steep inclines at staggering altitudes. It was a long
day of driving as everyone else in Colorado seemed to be out enjoying
the weekend and heading home on the same road. I was in bumper to
bumper traffic through the infamous South Park. But the scenery was
beautiful during the pause, and there was even a magnificent rainbow
to enjoy.

When I arrived in Bailey, CO I was immediately introduced to the
puppies. My friends that hosted me have a border collie mix who bred
with their Aussie Shepperd mix, and the result was thirteen puppies!
They weren’t expecting so many puppies and thus were on the hunt to
find new homes for them all. Two had already been sent off with
family members, and 11 were left to be watered, fed, played with,
corralled and cared for each day. It was a tough job, but I managed
to help as much as I could. When Joy asked if I wanted one, it was a
hard thing to turn down. I think the selling moment was when she
said I ought to pick one out before they were all spoken for. Good
job with your sale tactics, Joy! I knew that I wanted a female, and
there was only one left. She happened to have a blue eye and a brown
eye. She reminded me so much of a dog we had when I was little, so
it was an easy choice. I still thought the idea of bringing a puppy
along my journey was border-line crazy. But then again my whole trip
IS border-line crazy. And this was one of those moments when I was
reminded of my goal to be open. It was so hard not to be open to a
cute little puppy. When I saw her play tug of war with at least 5 of
her siblings and winning by pulling the rope around a tree, I knew
she was the right dog for me, strong, smart, independent female.
That’s my girl!

So I left Bailey on July 29th with a puppy as my
companion. I named her Anuk after the daughter in the movie Chocolat.
The mother and daughter wandered the countryside together, so I felt
the name was suitable. She also calls her daughter Anuska in the
movie, which is Russian for Ann (my middle name) and means Grace.
Anuk means polar bear in Innuit, and she is most definitely fierce
like a polar bear and sweet like grace. I also joke that her blue
eye is her fierce and crazy side, and her brown eye is her sweet
side. Beware of the blue eye that she never closes, or her teeth
that she chomps audibly like a shark! It has been an interesting
challenge to add training a puppy along with my day to day driving,
camping and farming. As I write this she is sleeping contently under
the rain fly of the tent in the shade. She is most excellent at
finding shade and a cool spot to sleep, even if she digs layers away
to find it.

7/29

Our first camping together was in Grand Mesa at Little Bear
campground in the National Park. Words fall utterly short of the
beauty of this place. The campsite was next to a mountain lake with
crystal clear water hemmed in with trees and wild flowers. I really
felt like I had seen a glimpse of heaven here. If it weren’t for the
hoards of mosquitoes, I would have really thought it was heaven.
Anuk was a wonderful camping companion sleeping soundly on the picnic
table wrapped up for warmth while I made dinner. And she slept
soundly snuggled in for warmth that night. She sleeps on me or very
close to me on the cooler nights (most nights camping have been in
the 50’s or low 60’s). And she insists on stealing my spot before I
get in bed (aka my sleeping bag) or if I get up in the middle of the
night, which means she jumps right in with her head on my pillow.
When I am in bed, she likes to snuggle her head in so she can rest on
my neck. She’s still small enough that she fits, but eventually she
will be way to big for this to work. Hopefully by then I wont be
living in a tent 🙂

Highlights:

Anuk, my new puppy companionGetting to hang out with the
author of One Million AmeliasSurrounded by puppies each dayGrand
Mesa’s beautyLeash training in Pinella Pass, CO

Lowlights:

high altitude mosquitoesColorado is so great everyone else
loves it too (crowded)